Nothing Else Matters
by DolbyDigital
Summary: It hadn't been easy, reaching this point. They'd both made a lot of mistakes along the way – him more than her – but they had finally made it. They were finally here.


**A/N –** This is written for genaissance.

* * *

 _Trust I seek and I find in you_

\- Nothing Else Matters, Metallica

* * *

It hadn't been easy, reaching this point. They'd both made a lot of mistakes along the way – him more than her – but they had finally made it. They were finally here.

There were more people on her side of the hall; not much family – just her parents and her two children - but she'd made enough friends to make up for that, and the seats were packed with vibrant smiles and cheery demeanours.

His side was far more sparse; he'd lost a lot more friends and family in the war than she had – but, then again, he had been on the losing side, and a lot of the survivors had left the country. The dozen or so people that had made it were all sitting stiffly, as though they weren't quite sure what it was that they were seeing; his son the only one who seemed truly happy.

* * *

 _"Dad! This is Rosey- er- Rose," Scorpius quickly amended at the irritated look from the girl. He smiled widely at his father. "She's Al's cousin."_

 _"And Al is..." Draco trailed off; he was sure he remembered the name from some of Scorpius' letters – was that the boy who was getting his son into so much trouble?_

 _"C'mon Dad, you remember! I told you about him!" Ah, yes, definitely the trouble maker. "He's in my House. And this is Rose," Scorpius repeated._

 _"Hello, Rose," Draco said, giving the girl a slight nod._

 _"Hello, Mister Malfoy," the girl mumbled, staring at her feet awkwardly._

 _"Rose! There you are!" a loud yell echoed through the station. Draco turned to see where it was coming from, and was met with the sight of Ron Weasley towering above everyone as he pushed his way through the crowd to get to his daughter. It took Weasley a moment longer to notice who his daughter was with. "What have I told you about-"_

 _"Ron!" Granger admonished, interrupting her husband before he could speak with his usual tact._

 _That was the first time he'd seen her in person since Hogwarts._

* * *

 _He met her again, years later, at a Muggle bus stop of all places, in the middle of a downpour._

 _"Malfoy!" she exclaimed, clearly just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. "What are you doing here?" She shook out her umbrella as she spoke._

 _"It's raining."_

 _"Yes, I gathered," she replied with a wry smile. "But why are you_ here _, specifically?"_

 _"I didn't want to get wet."_

 _"Well, you could have used your..." she trailed off before she reached the end of the sentence, realising something that he was all too aware of. "Oh, um..." Things were quickly progressing towards being awkward, if they weren't already there, and so he did the first thing he could think of. It was completely out of character, and he had no idea where it came from, but still, he said:_

 _"So... D'you come here often?"_

 _That was the first time they'd really talked – properly; no throwing insults at each other – but it was far from the last._

* * *

 _"I could get you your wand back, if you wanted," Hermione asked one evening. They were sitting quietly in the living room, Scorpius was asleep in his room upstairs. For once, everything was quiet._

 _"I have one," he said, after a moment's pause._

 _"But I thought... At the bus stop..."_

 _"I had one then. Not mine, though. It doesn't work as well, but I'm used to it now."_

 _"Oh," she said, frowning slightly. "It's not like you use it often."_

 _"I don't really have cause to. Outside of the house," he amended._

 _"And I suppose I'm not really here that often," she murmured, following the statement with a sigh._

 _"You could be," he answered; no hesitation this time._

 _And he never looked back._

* * *

He glanced once more at the stony faces of his friends and family; still keeping up pretences, despite all that had come to pass.

When the officiant gave the word, Draco leaned in and briefly pressed his lips to hers. Hermione held him close for a moment longer; long enough to hold a whispered conversation.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Aren't you happy?"

"Of course!" she repeated his earlier words. "It's just- your family- Are you happy?"

"Yes," was his simple reply, a small smile gracing his features. "We're both happy, and nothing else matters."


End file.
